Eating and Drinking in KwaZulu Natal

Bel Punto

Restaurants

While researching KZN the name Bel Punto just kept on coming up, and on visiting this stylish-yet-casual, family-run, authentic Italian restaurant I quickly saw and tasted why. The large indoor dining room and equally large terrace with uninterrupted ocean views compliment what some say is 'the best food in Durban.' This really is a very special treat.

Café Bloom

Cafés/galleries

Simple, fresh wholesome fare, with flavour and feeling in a stunning setting. Locally home-smoked trout on fresh salad greens and garden herbs, Danish feta and chives was a real winner. Whether you are looking for a light meal, coffee, cakes or bakes, Café Bloom is a comfortable place of ease and pleasure. Superb ceramics and paintings by Mick and Sally help furnish this family-run affair.

Prices: Breakfast R24 - R48. Lunch R30 - R80.

Contact: Nottingham Road

Tel: 033-266-6118

Email: kraalart@vodamail.co.za

Updated: 31/01/2010

Café Fish

Durban, Victoria Embankment

Restaurants

Famed as the best city-meets-sea restaurant in Durban, Café Fish, situated on the yacht mole in the Yacht Basin, is the perfect place to laze away a gorgeous Durban winter or summer afternoon. Otherwise pay a visit in the evenings as the Durban lights twinkle on the harbour water. This restaurant pays homage to the fantastic seafood of the area in a relaxing, light and friendly environment. Why not also pop on to one of the local cruises around the harbour whilst you are there?

Colombo Tea & Coffee Co

Durban

Restaurants

You may have noticed we often wax lyrical about artisanal this, micro that but there is good reason. Much more love and much more passion and you can really taste the difference. Bringing this trend to Durban in a heady way is Colombo Tea and Coffee Co. Represented by a young team of passionate roasters, blenders and baristas, the operation is dedicated to the artisan science of flavour and bringing only the best cup of coffee or tea to your table... or theirs. Colombo is also the perfect place to sit back, relax and sip on your favourite brown kryptonite and indulge in one of their delicious light meals and snacks at the Factory Café. Here, you will find all things micro, artisanal and made with love and passion.

Craft Trattoria

Durban

Restaurants

Durban! My dear beautiful home town and often-joked-about sleepy hollow, where nothing much ever changes, even the temperature in winter. One man who is single-handedly trying to change this, and the food scene in particular, is Neil Roake with his latest offering - Craft Trattoria (I eat nowhere else when I visit the family). Craft is all about the celebration of authentic Italian food (no pineapple or mass-produced pasta here) with enough quirk and character to win over any Italian mamma. From the oversized spaghetti-like fork that greets you at the entrance, to the floor-to-ceiling, pine-clad walls throughout, the giant red lips that serve as the take-away hatch (lip service!), the colour-washed floors and clever finishings to the fresh food, open kitchen and wood-fired oven and stylish waiters, Craft is undoubtedly the place to be. Be sure to book ahead and find a place nearby to stay as they have some delicious Italian wine on offer.The menu is so lip-smackingly good I could honestly go every day of the month and not get tired. Personally, I have to recommend their home-made pastas. When spoiling myself with an Italian feast I usually tend to head straight for the pizza page. At Craft, I never make it past the pasta and for a restaurant to have that effect says something. You have been warned though... you will be flying back for more.

Hartford House

Mooi River

Restaurants

Not only is Hartford House an exceptional property to be found within the pages of The Greenwood Guide, but it is home to one of the top 10 restaurants in South Africa, as voted at the Eat Out Awards towards the end of last year. The restaurant and hotel is situated in the rolling hills of the Natal Midlands on a world-famous stud farm. Young chef Jackie Cameron is a force to be reckoned with. Being at the helm of the restaurant for 10 years, Jackie and her team are creating some of the most delicious, seasonal, local and creative dishes in the country. Be sure to book into the hotel so you can explore the stunning farm, gardens and other amenities. I can also assure you that they provide the best breakfast you will ever experience.

Impulse By The Sea

Tinley Manor

Restaurants

KwaZulu Natal. Famous for its curries and famous for its fresh seafood. So, naturally the best seafood curry must be found here. But where? Fear not, I have the answer for you. And after 25 years of eating curry from the very north to the very south of the KZN coast I have a feeling you will agree. A visit to Natal is not complete without a visit to Impulse by the Sea at Tinley Manor near Ballito. Now let me be the first to say that this place is quite kitsch (the best description I have ever heard for this place is “Bollywood meets Saturday Night Fever”). But you are coming here for the food (which is still just a stone’s throw from the sea). Catering for all tastes (and plenty of milk on tap), Impulse by the Sea, is the real deal. So please, do yourself a favour, go there and have their curries.

Contact: 167 Seaview Drive, Tinley Manor, Ballito, North Coast

Tel: +27 (32) 554 4626

Updated: 06/12/2011

Impulse by the Sea Curry Restaurant

Restaurants

After 20 years, Impulse by the Sea is the ultimate Indian restaurant. Subtle decor, soft Indian instrumentals, warm hospitality and - most importantly - mouth-watering curries served in traditional brass and copper kadais create the complete Indian experience. World-renowned food and wine connoisseurs Erica and John Platter comment thus: "... in Michelin-guide speak, their prawn curry is still holding pole position." So I suggest booking a sundeck table, gazing out at the sea... and getting curried away.

La Storia

Westville

Restaurants

La Storia: Food - Wine - Tradition. This is where I found myself celebrating my birthday lunch. On walking in I noticed an art piece paying tribute to the 'Slow Food' movement and I sensed the choice was right. With a wine list offering some of the very best South Africa has to offer, including some great Italian varietals, and a food menu with so many incredible options, you will need at last one glass of wine while you decide. Take your time here, relax and welcome yourself in to the Italian family at La Storia.

Little Havana

Umhlanga

Restaurants

Bringing sublime food, slick dining and a touch of Cuba to Durban (minus any clichés), Little Havana is a must. From the threshold the love, passion and thought that has gone in to the opening of this restaurant is palpable. From the in-house butchery, offering the finest free-range hormone-free meats, to the stunning walk-in cellar, you are assured one of the, if not the, best grill and seafood meals outside of Havana itself!Our picks? Try the deconstructed prawn samoosa for a little touch of Durban as a starter; and the grain vs grass fed beef for mains - an ingenious 200g offering of each to combine the tastes, colours and textures of the two styles of rearing.

Makaranga

Kloof

Restaurants

Blessed with a beautiful public holiday (thanks to all you workers!), a special gran's birthday proved to be the perfect occasion for a picnic. And at Makaranga this isn't just any old picnic! Find a spot in the lovely gardens and settle down to what promises to be one of the most relaxing days of your life! If picnics are not quite your thing (?!), try the equally satisfying Nonna Italian Bistro or the Library Bar.

Peri Peri De Mocambique

Durban

Restaurants

Savour all the sights, sounds, food and flavours of Mozambique without having to go any further than Durban at Peri Peri De Mozambique. Get your fingers sticky tucking in to authentic Mozambiquan-style prawns, your tongue a-wagging with spicy prego (a tomato sauce) steaks and piri-piri livers or quench your thirst (or burning mouth) sipping on a 2M or Laurentina beer. Peri Peri De Mozambique promises to offer a true Mozambiquan experience when compared to the other Portuguese-styled restaurants out there. This is all tied together perfectly with (a very well-done version of) a fish-shack-type feel of hanging bottles, fishing nets, strings of shells and other seaside paraphernalia. A fun great-value-for-money restaurant that comes highly recommended by anyone who has been.

Spiga D'Oro

Durban

Restaurants

It's very seldom that you come across a place that gets everything right: food, atmosphere, service, everything! Dine inside or out on the pavement while the Santoniccolos make you feel like old friends. This bustling Italian trattoria is an absolute must if you are in Durban.

The Bakery

Durban

Restaurants

Durban’s Glenwood area has always been hip and the suburb's new artisanal bakery fits right in. The Bakery offers a host of bread options as well as some fantastically delicious coffee and various home-made treats such as sorbets and ice creams. Whether it is to pop in for a take-away bread or to sit and relax as the world goes by while tucking in to one of their delicious meals, this is one place you will find plenty of reasons to return to.

The Waffle House

Ramsgate

Restaurants

You haven’t truly visited KwaZulu Natal’s South Coast until you have paid a visit to the Waffle House in Ramsgate. Cocooned between tranquil sub-tropical vegetation, the Ramsgate Lagoon and the beach, the Waffle House is a destination not to be missed. Fancy a bobotie? Or why not a lemon meringue waffle? You name it, they probably have it. Whilst waiting for your food, take a wander around the Gaze Art Gallery and the basket and curio shops. After your meal meander across a wooden bridge, through mangroves and dip your toes into the Indian Ocean and ruminate on the perfect start to your day.

Contact: Ramsgate Lagoon

Tel: +27 (39) 314 9424

Email: manager@wafflehouse.co.za

Updated: 22/07/2011

Unity

Durban

Restaurants

Chilled-out coffee shop, late-night (micro-brew specialising) beer and wine bar, eatery, Unity is the place to hang out in Durban. Primarily a stomping ground for carnivores (all the windows, walls, menus and shirts are emblazoned with different animals), the menu highlights the use of fresh, local, high-quality produce including hand-made sausages and cured meats. Unity has also created a niche market by attracting post-theatre patrons and groups looking to have a casual night out. Definitely one of my top picks this year- you are guaranteed a fun night out!

Contact: Shop 4, Silvervause Centre, 117 Vause Road, Musgrave, Durban

Tel: +27 (31) 201 3470

Updated: 15/03/2012

Select another category for KwaZulu Natal

With other areas like Cape Town, the Garden Route and The Kruger Park already so firmly on the map, KwaZulu Natal often doesn't get as much press as it deserves - so we are going to unashamedly blow its trumpet.